1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile communication device, and more particularly to a mobile communication device comprising a slide cover for sliding towards or away from a main body of the mobile communication device according to use of the mobile communication device so as to expose the entire or a portion of a liquid crystal display.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, mobile communication devices refer to portable units for communicating with a counterpart via wireless communication. Such mobile communication devices include an HHP (Hand Held Phone), a CT-2 cellular phone, a digital phone, a PCS phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), etc. The mobile communication devices are divided into several types according to their external shape. For example, the mobile terminals may be divided into bar-type terminals, flip-type terminals, and folder-type terminals, according to their external shapes. The bar-type mobile terminal comprises a bar-type housing. The flip-type mobile terminal comprises a bar-type housing and a flip or a cover rotatably connected to the housing by a hinge unit. The folder-type mobile terminal comprises a bar-type housing, and a folder rotatably connected to the housing by a hinge unit, thereby being folded or unfolded.
Further, the mobile terminals may be divided into neck wearable-type terminals, wrist wearable-type terminals, etc., according to their wearing locations. The neck wearable-type terminal is hung on a user's neck using a string, and the wrist wearable-type terminal is held on a user's wrist. Moreover, the mobile terminals may be divided into rotation-type terminals and sliding-type terminals according to the manner of opening or closing. The rotation-type terminal is opened and closed by a relative rotational motion of its two housings facing each other and rotatably connected to each other. The sliding-type terminal is opened and closed by a longitudinal sliding motion of one housing of its two housings.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate the designs of the aforementioned various mobile terminals. Each of the above conventional mobile terminals essentially comprises an antenna unit, data input and output units, and data. transmission and reception units. Of course, a keypad, through which data is inputted into the terminal by pressing with the fingers, is mainly used as the data input unit. Otherwise, a touch pad or a touch screen may be used as the data input unit. A LCD (liquid crystal display) is mainly used as the data output unit so as to display data. The keypad includes an array of a plurality of keys. Herein, the keys include a send (SND) key serving as a communication start button, a delete key, a clear (CLR) key, numeral keys, character keys, an end (END) key, function (FCN) keys, a power-supply (PWR) key serving to perform switching on/off of power supply, etc. The keys are arranged at proper positions on an upper surface of a housing of the mobile terminal, in a total number of approximately 15 to 20. Since the keys are exposed from the upper surface of the housing, desired data are inputted into the terminal by a user's pressing action.
In the case of the bar-type and flip-type mobile terminals, a bar-type single housing is prepared. Then, a liquid crystal display, a keypad, a microphone, and a speaker are provided on a front surface of the housing, and an antenna unit is provided on a rear surface of the housing. Particularly, in the flip-type mobile terminal, the liquid crystal display is exposed on the front surface of the housing so that transmitted and received data are displayed thereon, and the keypad including a plurality of keys for inputting data is installed below the liquid crystal display. The microphone for transmitting a user's voice to a counterpart is installed below the keypad. Further, a flip is rotatably connected to a lower end of the housing of the terminal by a hinge unit so as to protect the keypad and concentrate the user's voice toward the microphone.
However, since the liquid crystal display of the conventional mobile terminal has a narrow screen, it has a limitation in that it is unable to display a long message on the screen of the liquid crystal display. Further, since it is difficult to display a long document downloaded via the Internet on the screen of the liquid crystal display, the liquid crystal display of the conventional mobile terminal cannot perform various display functions. Moreover, since the liquid crystal displays of the conventional bar-type and flip-type mobile terminals are exposed to the outside, even when light external impact is applied to the liquid crystal displays, the surfaces of the liquid crystal displays are damaged and the liquid crystal displays must be replaced with new ones.